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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by janejj on May 3, 2003, at 22:33:16
Hi,
I have been taking celexa 20mg for almost 2 months now. I really don't know if its working though, I have frequent days where I feel in the depths of despair and feel like taking a whole bunch of pills (which I've never thought about seriously before). I guess that means its not working? Its also making me put on weight...I just feel so down all the time, like I just want to crawl out of myself.
Prozac worked for me, but seemed to poop out. If I asked my doctor for Prozac again do you think it would work second time around ? Or do you think I should just give up on the SSRIs and try something different. I really need some help. I wish i could take a pill that wouldn't kill me, but would just give me a break from all these bad feelings.
Thanks Janejj
Posted by kwazy on May 4, 2003, at 18:50:31
In reply to Celexa not working, any suggestions please ?, posted by janejj on May 3, 2003, at 22:33:16
I can completely relate to what you're going through. Prozac was the first antidepressant I took, but it seemed to poop out after a while. After Prozac I took a string of other anti-depressants, but nothing seemed to work (or if it worked, it pooped out like Prozac).
Feeling a bit nostalgic, I went back on Prozac, but it did absolutely nothing for me the second time around. If I were you, I would move on to a another class of drugs, as it sounds like the SSRIs aren't working for you. I don't think I have ever spoken to anyone who has not responded (or only responded moderately, or responded then pooped out) on 2 SSRIs, only to find that trying a third or fourth or fifth SSRI magically worked.
Sounds like you might want to try Wellbutrin, as that has the side effect of weight loss in some people (all SSRIs can cause weight gain). After Wellbutrin, there are MAOIs (Parnate - no weight gain) and TCAs (though I have no experience with these).
I think the main thing here is to not think that SSRIs are your only option just because so many doctors out there are too lazy or unknowledgable to try anything else.
good luck
> I have been taking celexa 20mg for almost 2 months now. I really don't know if its working though, I have frequent days where I feel in the depths of despair and feel like taking a whole bunch of pills (which I've never thought about seriously before). I guess that means its not working? Its also making me put on weight...I just feel so down all the time, like I just want to crawl out of myself.
>
> Prozac worked for me, but seemed to poop out. If I asked my doctor for Prozac again do you think it would work second time around ? Or do you think I should just give up on the SSRIs and try something different. I really need some help. I wish i could take a pill that wouldn't kill me, but would just give me a break from all these bad feelings.
>
> Thanks Janejj
Posted by xjs7 on May 4, 2003, at 19:07:52
In reply to Celexa not working, any suggestions please ?, posted by janejj on May 3, 2003, at 22:33:16
Have you tried taking a higher dose of Celexa? I was on 30 mg to start with (after increasing for a few months) and am now on 40 mg. It doesn't work great--my response was not as robust as some people who post here--but it does help with the worst of the depression symptoms. I hope you find relief soon.
xjs7
Posted by Janelle on May 4, 2003, at 19:52:12
In reply to Celexa not working, any suggestions please ?, posted by janejj on May 3, 2003, at 22:33:16
For what it's worth, I've been on Celexa a few months myself (although I was back and forth between that and EffexorXR, the latter did not work) so it took awhile for me to realize that 30mg/day of Celexa is working (KNOCK ON WOOD!)
As I see it you have several choices with the SSRI's before giving them up: talk to your pdoc first of course!
you could increase the Celexa dose
you could try Prozac, although I keep hearing that the second time using a the same SSRI it does not work
there are other SSRI's to try - Paxil, Zoloft, EffexorXR (just cuz it didn't work for me doesn't mean it wouldn't for you), Lexapro.
I would suggest (and this is just a LAYPERSON's suggestion) trying the above things before moving to the TCA's or MAOI's. Again, JUST a suggestion.
Good luck 2 U
Posted by TJO on May 5, 2003, at 9:35:22
In reply to Celexa not working, any suggestions please ?, posted by janejj on May 3, 2003, at 22:33:16
> Hi,
>
> I have been taking celexa 20mg for almost 2 months now. I really don't know if its working though, I have frequent days where I feel in the depths of despair and feel like taking a whole bunch of pills (which I've never thought about seriously before). I guess that means its not working? Its also making me put on weight...I just feel so down all the time, like I just want to crawl out of myself.
>
> Prozac worked for me, but seemed to poop out. If I asked my doctor for Prozac again do you think it would work second time around ? Or do you think I should just give up on the SSRIs and try something different. I really need some help. I wish i could take a pill that wouldn't kill me, but would just give me a break from all these bad feelings.
>
> Thanks JanejjHi Janejj,
I felt almost exactly the way you describe feeling on 20 mg of Paxil. It really didn't help me and I felt depressed. A smart Pdoc in the hospital gave me Wellbutrin and all those bad feelings went away. I truly felt better and didn't have any more urges to take a bunch of pills. They started me on 450 mg of Wellbutrin in the hospital and after I got out, cut it down slowly to 150 mg, which I still take now, 1 1/2 years later. Maybe Wellbutrin will work the same magic for you.
My opinion is that your meds aren't working and you need to do something different-either take more of Celexa or try something else.I don't think Prozac would work the second time if it didn't work the first time. You might want to consider something besides an SSRI if the increased dose of Celexa doesn't work because you will have tried 2 different SSRI's.Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.
Tammy
Posted by Bill L on May 6, 2003, at 13:44:28
In reply to Re: Celexa not working, any suggestions please ?, posted by TJO on May 5, 2003, at 9:35:22
I needed 60 mg of Celexa. But it worked very well at that dose.
This is the end of the thread.
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